Understanding "The Unwritten" and "Air"

Trying to understand two of DC Comics/Vertigo's recent acclaimed series, Air and The Unwritten?  In this article, Andrew A. Smith of Scripps Howard News Service explains all.  So far, Air has been collected in two trades and The Unwritten, one.

I Dream of Mark Millar - An I Reads You Juniors Special

Two nights ago, I had a strange dream, and Mark Millar was involved.

I dreamed that someone had built a small comic book store on a large tract of property belonging to one of my relatives.  One day, I stopped by the store and Mark Millar was there.  He was so cool, and he gave me lots of swag from the movie based on his comic book, Kick Ass, mostly posters.

Anyway, I came across this article from The Independent (UK) that offers some detail about Millar's youth and early comic book work.  Much of the article is about Millar's Hollywood experience.  I expected Millar's ego and self-regard, both of which are probably now self-aware, but in the article, he comes across as just a regular-guy-turned-writer.

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Bleach on Matters of the Heart

I recently finished reading Bleach, Vol. 30 (Bleach (Graphic Novels))

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

I Reads You Review: THE PLAID AVENGER #1

NX COMICS


The Plaid Avenger #1
STORY: John Boyer
WRITERS: John Boyer and Klaus Shmidheiser
ARTIST: Klaus Shmidheiser
COLORS: Klaus Shmidheiser with Richard Miller and Erin Nolan
PLAID ASSISTANT: Katie Pritchard
32pp, Color, $3.50 U.S, $4.50 CAN

The Plaid Avenger is the brainchild of John Boyer, a professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. With the talents of graphic designer Klaus Shmidheiser, Boyer turned The Plaid Avenger into a comic book.

The Plaid Avenger is essentially a spy and superhero that combines the basics of the masked hero, costumed adventurer, and super spy. He is like The Lone Ranger, The Spirit, The Shadow, and James Bond rolled into one, but his uniform is plaid – coats, pants, hats, masks, etc. He even wears plaid briefs. The Plaid Avenger is no fool, though. By day, he is a college professor, but when an international crisis arises, the professor gives way to the Plaid Avenger.

According to an interview he gave to the website, the Comic Book Bin, Boyer wants to use the character to educate Americans about what is going on in the rest of the world. To that end, The Plaid Avenger #1 finds the titular hero failing in the Alaskan Iditarod. He veers of course, but fate brings him to a meeting of four world powers: Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Dick Cheney, gathering in Eskimo country to stake their claims on the Artic.

Global warming has reduced the permanent ice that covers the North Pole, and all that uncovered land and sea means – to these countries at least – access to untapped oil and natural gas resources. When Vladimir Putin arrives at this volatile summit, it’s up to the Plaid Avenger to discover the Russian leader’s motivations before things get hotter.

The purpose of The Plaid Avenger #1 is knowledge, and imparting knowledge is nothing new to the medium of comic books. Comics have been used for educational and informative purpose for both children and adults. Legendary creator Will Eisner (The Spirit) created a studio, American Visuals Corporation, to produce instructional materials for the government and businesses in a comic book-like form.

Boyer and Shmidheiser have combined words (in captions and word balloons) and pictures (graphics and sequential art) to inform their readers about the goings-on in the Arctic, and they are shockingly successful at making this an easy to read comic book about real life, global issues. The effect of global warming on the Arctic’s ecosystem, what that means for people native to and living in the region, and the international claims on the territories mineral resources form one helluva complicated issue. Yet after reading this comic book, I certainly believe that I have a basic understanding, giving me enough information to follow and further study the issue on my own.

The Plaid Avenger embodies the successful educational and informative comic book. Practical and easy to understand, The Plaid Avenger #1 deserves bestseller status.

http://www.plaidavenger.com/

The John Boyer interview: www.comicbookbin.com/bubble139.html

Choose the Price You Pay at Xevicom.com

XEVICOM.COM ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO CHOOSE THEIR PRICE FOR ITS COMICS


Xevicom.com – home of bestselling science fiction author Ray Reid – Allows Customers to Pay Whatever Price They Want for its Graphic Novels

Xevicom.com and bestselling science fiction author Ray Reid have today announced that they will allow visitors to pick their own price for all digital titles sold on the website for the next month. This incredible offer will allow visitors to purchase Reid’s cult graphic novel, Xevicom Forever, for any value above $0.01. Although the digital edition comes with a guide price of $6.95, Xevicom.com will happily accept any value its customers wish to play. For comic book fans across the world there has never been a better time to discover Ray Reid’s dystopian world of the future.

“I’ve always wanted to share Xevicom Forever with as many people as I can,” Reid enthused, “and now I finally have that opportunity. I trust the comic book community to pay whatever they think is a fair value and I am happy to accept any amount for my work. I hate the idea that people are forced to pirate material they cannot necessarily afford and it is my hope that this little promotion will give a new wave of readers a chance to engage with my work.” When asked to comment upon his motivation the usually reclusive author replied, “Pieces of art shouldn’t be horded by their creators. It’s our duty to share our vision with as many people as we can. It is also our duty not to exploit people whenever we can. We all need to make a living, sure, but I think it’s time we started to trust our audiences.”

Xevicom Forever was originally conceived by Reid back in 2004 before entering a torrid period of development that almost saw the title never released. As this ambitious title languished in development hell Reid wrote a pair of cult science fiction and fantasy novels that drew an audience of thousands to his work. Xevicom Forever finally saw a limited digital release in 2007 however Reid, displeased with the compromised final product, reworked the script whilst his artists retooled their work to create the definitive version of this graphic novel which is now being offered for sale on xevicom.com. In addition to allowing readers to choose their price for Xevicom Forever Reid is also allowing visitors to the website to listen to his science fiction audio book, Cell, free of charge. In the coming weeks Reid also plans to offer his second novel, the epic fantasy book “The Half Broken Crown” to readers on similar terms. Reid is also writing a weekly blog that will hosted on xevicom.com for the foreseeable future.

For more information please visit us at http://www.xevicom.com. You can email us at contact@xevicom.com

Moonstone Books Has "The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks" #12 for June

From Moonstone Books:

JUNE 2010 release:


The PHANTOM: Ghost Who Walks #12
Story: Mike Bullock
Art: Silvestre Szilagyi
Colors: Bob Pedroza
Cover A by Art Thibert
Cover B: Fernando Peniche
Cover C: Roberto Castro
32pgs, color, $3.99

“Godfall” Part V (of V)

The Godfall arc concludes as the Phantom and the HIM face off for their final confrontation. With the lives of thousands hanging in the balance, can the Phantom fight his way through waves of child soldiers to take out their leader, or will he become another trophy in the legacy of Uganda’s most despicable warlord?

(covers = 50% Thibert, 35% Peniche, 15% Castro)

“The Phantom is worth the price of two comic books from DC or Marvel." – Silver Bullet Comic Books

”One of the most riveting comics being published today."- CitC

Beast Master Final Volume

I read Beast Master, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.  This is the final volume of the series.